Kingdom of Isolation
by Midstorm1
Summary: This time it's Belle's family tree that has some interesting branches. And what happens when someone she thought long gone returns? (Elsa is Belle's sister)
1. Part 1

Kingdom of Isolation (Part 1 of 3)

by MidStorm

Summary: This time it's Belle's family tree that has some interesting branches. And what happens when someone she thought long gone returns?

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or Frozen.

* * *

Belle woke from a deep sleep when she reached out and did not find her husband next to her. What she found was a note, he had gone for his weekly appointment with Archie and didn't wish to wake her. Just as she seeked help after her imprisonment by Regina, her husband had bravely done the same after his year with Zelena. She shivered at the thought of what her true love had gone through.

His note also asked her to meet him at Granny's for lunch. For whatever reason Granny's hamburger had never tasted better since she was married. She traced her hand at the bottom of the note, where he proclaimed his love for her and signed it 'your husband.'

She knew they were still considered "newlyweds," only being a week married, but she doubted she would ever get over the joy of calling Rumple her husband. He had told days ago, other than being Bae's father, it was the best title he has ever been given. He said he go the rest of his life, known only as Belle's husband.

Yes, to others he was the Dark One, Imp, Crocodile, but to only her he was husband and true love.

And she will happily be Belle Gold, even though Ruby says it sounds like a kind of jewelry while Grumpy claims it sounds like an expensive stripper (he said expensive, as if trying to make the insult better).

She quickly showered, dressed and went downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. She took her beverage and toast outside to the backyard patio. The couple had taken to eating most of their meals outside, both of them had spent enough time in cages, dungeons and towers.

A cold breeze rustled through the trees and made her think of another time, the cold always did that. It reminded her of her sister, Elsa.

Once upon a time her family had been whole, they had been happy. Her parents Sir Maurice and Lady Rosalyn had married quickly after falling in love after literally running into each other at the marketplace. A year later they were blessed with a little girl they named Elsa. While no one doubted the child's lineage, she had her father's startling blue eyes and looked nearly exactly her paternal grandmother, it was found odd that she had the whitest blonde hair anyone had ever seen, since both of her parents were brunettes.

But they did not care, they loved their daughter wished to give her a sibling. Two years later Belle was born and they felt their family was complete. Other nobles pitied Maurice and his lack of sons, but he did not see it that way. He was thankful he had two healthy children and his wife survived childbirth twice, others were not so lucky.

Little Elsa loved her baby sister, however she had a problem saying Belle. She just couldn't get the 'b' out. So her mother came with a solution for the baby to have the nickname Anna, after all she was named after her grandmother Annabelle.

The couple was known throughout as fair and kind to their people. The daughters wanted to help as much as their parents. Their mother taught them how to cook, sew, knit and first aide, all skills they used to assist those in need. While their father encouraged them to learn trade, geography, history and other skills that would help them rule one day.

However the girls found time to have fun and be children. In their town luckily winters were short enough that the people didn't have to worry about freezing, famine or sickness from the weather. Belle noticed her sister alway seemed happiest in the chill. Elsa would often forget her gloves and scarf (while Belle was bundled in five layers) but never catch a cold.

Their favorite activity was building snowmen after people they knew. Their favorite snow caricature was of the the Castle's guard Olaf. He was always a 'frowny face,' but the sisters knew all he wanted was warm hugs and to be loved. Their parents occasionally would join them in a snow ball fight and eventually have to drag the girls back into the warmth of the castle. Everytime they went inside Elsa would become quieter, but Belle would just remind her over a cup of tea that they would go outside tomorrow and she would liven up.

It was the memories of these days (and her love of Rumple) that kept Belle sane in the queen's tower. She almost wished she had those memories when she was in the hospital.

And for ten years the four of them were very happy in their little town. However, there is no such thing as a happily ever after, at least Belle has heard of one other than those in her books.

It was one unusually cold spring day that everything changed. A ten year old Belle was awoken by her maid and rushed to her mother's room, where the Lady Rosalyn lay on her bed pale as death. Belle ran to her mother, grasping her frozen hand. Belle asked what happened, but her mother told her she was sick and not to worry. Her mother's last words was a request to Belle to always love her sister and father.

Elsa wasn't at the funeral. Her father told Belle that her sister had the same sickness as their mother and she had to be kept separate from everyone. Belle lost, in some ways, her entire family that day. Her father spent more time away from the castle, trying to find a cure for her sister, beseeching hedge witches, wizards and fairies. While Belle ran the household and tried to help the town as much as she could at her age.

And it was that for the next eight years. Belle desperately missed her sister. For the first year she was worried that her sister would die any day. However, her father who visited her sister weekly promised she was still alive, but sick. Belle begged to be able to go see her sister, but her father said she may become ill too and he couldn't risk it. They never told her where Elsa was, all Belle knew was she was out of town. And while Belle studied geography she had never been out of her village before.

One summer day Belle tired of people telling her no, decided to take her fate into her own hands, she tricked the knight Gaston into telling her where her sister was. She felt guilty for her ruse, Gaston was kind (though dim-witted) but it was her sister.

She took her horse Phillipe and rode all night, the closer she got to the tower, the chillier it got. Belle wondered why her father would put her sister in such a cold place, when part of the sickness her mother had including her blood running cold.

By the time she made it to the tower, the sun was rising and she could see her own breath in the air.

"Elsa," she called out as she climbed the stairs.

"Anna?" her sister asked, she had grown taller and even more beautiful than the last time she had seen her. Belle rushed to hug her sister, but Elsa backed away.

"You need to leave, you aren't safe here," the older sister warned.

And that was all Belle could remember that day. She woke up cold with a pounding headache, but in her bedroom at the castle. The medic, her maid and Gaston were sitting beside her bed.

She had dreams of snow, magic and fairies. She asked them what happened, none of them would tell her. Belle rushed out of her bed, Gaston trying to stop her, telling Belle he promised her sister that he always protect her. Belle looked at the sullen face of the young man, and knew she had to find her father.

She found her father in the meeting room sitting in his chair, looking forlorn with tears in his eyes. It was the same look he had when her mother died. Belle fell to the ground crying 'no, please, no.' Her father gathered her in his arms and told her how sorry he was.


	2. Part 2

Kingdom of Isolation: Part 2

The next year was the worst of Belle's life. A terrible winter storm had come to town, ruining many crops and causing widespread illness. However the storm eventually moved into orge terrritory and the Ogres not caring for the cold decided to make her village their new home.

Her father, while he did not force it, begged her to stay in the castle. She didn't begrudge him for his protective nature, she was terrified of losing him as well. But she missed her trips to the local bookstore and orphanage where she would bring treats and read stories to the children.

She was growing weary being cooped up and followed. After the loss of her sister, she acquired a new shadow, Gaston. He trailed her every move even though she was in the safety of the castle.

"I promised your sister I would always look after you," he told when she confronted him on his new job.

"What happen that day?" she asked. She barely remember anything from the day she found her sister. Her mind became hazy whenever she tried to focus on her memories. Though at night she dreamed of snow storm, ice and strangely a fairy kissing her.

Everytime she asked Gaston would look down with sorrow written across his face. After a while she stopped asking, not wanting to be the cause of anyone's agony. And no one else would answer her questions and since her people's lives were at stake, she let it go (for now).

A few months into the war (if you could call it that, it was more like a slaughter according to reports from the frontlines, Ogres are not men) her father asked to speak to her in his office alone. His voice was hollow and his eyes regretful.

"We are running out of resources, my girl," he said sadly. She of course knew this, being the one who over the books and was in charge of the household. She had sold all of her jewelry and dresses, save her sister's pearl pendant and mother's wedding dress.

"Gaston's father, has offered to help us out but he…" her father trailed off, the words obviously paining him. Her parents had married for love, but that was a different time.

"He wants something in return," she answered, knowing exactly where the conversation was going. And without a thought she agreed. Yes she would forfeit her chance of a loving marriage if it meant the chance to save her people, her friends and the only family she had left, her father.

She was reminded of something her mother once told her and her sister after the topic of arranged marriages came up one day. Her mother wished for both her daughters to only marry for love, but she sadly knew that was not always the world they lived in, especially with their families status. But she told both Belle and Elsa, even if they didn't have true love with her husband, they could find it with their children.

And Gaston was an honorable man (Belle reminded herself), a bit superficial as most knights were, but if that was the worst thing about him she would count herself lucky (she had heard horror stories of men who treated their wives as cattle). She would marry him, save her town and hopefully have children quickly (and be done with that wifely duty).

However whatever aid that was gained wasn't enough (and Belle was still engaged). They needed another solution. Belle had read about the Dark One when she was but a child and knew he would make deals with desperate souls (and at this point her village was at desperate as could be).

It wouldn't hurt to at least hear what his price would be, at least that is what she told herself as she begged her father. It had taken weeks to convince him to send a letter to Rumplestiltskin, Maurice kept saying magic wasn't the answer. She had no idea where his dislike of magic came from however when the ogres passed the border he gave in.

She wore her mother's gold wedding dress, her necklace and held her favorite book in her hand, her father said they may have to retreat if he did not come (and when he said they, she knew her father meant to send her alone to safety).

But the trickster came into the castle with his tricks.

"What I want is something a bit more special. My price…is her," he said to the outrage of the entire room.

From the day she thought of calling on the Dark One, she thought of a thousand different ideas of what he could ask for, but her as his caretaker didn't ever cross her mind.

She thought she would always have her family, she thought she always was going to be locked up in the castle, Gaston said he would protect her forever. Forever and always were words that lost meaning to her. But when she made the deal she meant it.

She looked at her father, yes she would be losing him like her mother and sister, but he would be alive and that was so much better than the alternative.

When she cried at night, alone in the dungeon, it wasn't for her lost of freedom or chance to find love, but for her father who had already lost so much.

* * *

Winter came to the Dark Castle sooner than it usually did in her village. She had been in the castle for a few months now and it was starting to feel almost like home. Her duties as 'maid' included some light dusting, sweeping and serving tea. Rumple obviously didn't need a caretaker, what he needed was a friend.

The first day it had snowed, after she served him tea in the great hall, she took a seat at the window sill holding an unopened book looking wistfully outside.

She was wearing a thick woolen burgundy dress, it was lined with golden thread (that happened to handsomely match the vest and shirt her master was wearing today).

"Homesick dearie?" he asked in that imp voice, taking a sip from the chipped cup. (When she asked him why he used the thing, he simply said it had character).

"No, it's just the snow always reminds me of my sister," she answered with a sigh.

"Well she is back home, you miss her so then you are homesick," he said pointing a clawed finger.

"No, she's dead."

"Orges?" he asked quietly his timbre returning to tone she loved.

"No, sickness, she died over a year ago," she said looking outside once again.

"I'm sorry." he said his arm up in the air as if he was debating a way to comfort her.

He was never the one to touch her. All contact was made by her and Belle decided to chose for him by holding his hand and telling him thank you.

"Her name was Elsa, she loved to play in the snow when we were children, those are some of my happiest memories," she said with a smile and then a pause. "Rumple do you want to build a snowman?"

She loved being able to shock the "Dark One," and this was definitely one of those times.

"I've never built one before. It didn't snow much when—" he stopped himself, she knew he was about to reveal something about his past. He did that occasionally but she knew better than to push him.

Belle sadly smiled and told him: "Then there is no better reason to do so now."

She grabbed his arm and dragged him outside.

An hour later, after some arguing and lots of laughter a snowman was formed in the middle of the Dark Castle grounds. It looked similar to the sister's favorite creation, Olaf, and it warmed her heart to see it's familiar shape again.

Rumple was about to wave his arms, which Belle knew meant magic, but she stopped him.

"No please," she asked.

"He is a bit lopsided," he told her gesturing to, yes the oddly proportioned, snowman.

"He isn't perfect, but he is has character," she said grinning at him. Rumple was so distracted in thought that he didn't notice his caretaker throw a snowball in his direction until it was too late.

* * *

Belle walked down the streets of Storybrooke replaying the memory in her head. It was that day she realized there may be something there that wasn't there before. And it was true love.

'True love can thaw a frozen heart,' the words echoed in her mind as the cold wind blew. She pulled Rumple's sweater closer around her, as the chill made her shiver to her toes.

Notes: Thanks to Little-Inkstone for her help! And the next chapter will deal with present day Storybrooke and the sisters reuniting.


	3. Part 3

Kingdom of Isolation 3/4

Author's Note: So I was originally going to have this be three parts... But there is so much more to this story. So there will be one more chapter.

As she walked down the street of Storybrooke, smiling at her neighbors (some who were brave enough to smile back), it started to snow. While Maine was always cold, it was nearly summer and no where near freezing temperatures. But there was snow on the ground and flakes were starting to collect on her eyelashes.

The last time she had seen snow was when Neal was alive. Even though they didn't spend much time together, she loved and dearly missed him.

* * *

The two heart-broken souls were deep in Snow White's library going over the maps of the Enchanted Forest, trying to find the quickest and least dangerous route to the Dark Castle. They had only been back in the Enchanted Forest for a few weeks and the grief of losing their love ones were still fresh in their hearts.

They were going to get Rumple back, Belle believed it so much, that her optimism was spreading to Neal. It was easy to see why his father fell in love with Belle. She would balance out Rumple's persistent pessimism.

They were concentrating so much on the atlases, that they didn't hear the man approach them.

"Belle," her father said gravely. He had lost weight and hair and looked so much older than she remembered.

"Hello," she answered quietly. "This is—"

"I'm her stepson," Neal said smiling as if to break the obvious tension in the room. Neal had made a habit of teasingly calling her 'mum' and though she pretended to be annoyed by the name, she secretly loved it. Ever since Rumple told her about his son, she wanted the three of them to be a family, she wanted to be Bae's mother.

Her father blanched at the jest.

"This is Neal, Rumple's son," she explained before her father's head exploded.

"You got married," Maurice asked breathlessly.

"No, he was joking," she replied sadly. The night that Rumple returned from Neverland and they talked about marriage and maybe a sibling or two for Bae. They were going to go down that path together.

"Oh good," her father said, looking relieved.

Maurice seeing the frown on her face, quickly added. "Oh my dear girl, I meant I'm glad I didn't miss your wedding."

"Even if it was to Rumple?" she asked surprised.

"As long as it is to someone who you love and loves you in return. And I heard about his sacrifice, how he saved the whole town. I was wrong about him," he said. "Belle, I'm so sorry for everything."

Neal was looking away awkwardly, while both she and her father had tears in their eyes.

"Papa, I wish you listened to me."

"I know, I know. Just after what happened to your mother and then your sister, I was so scared to lose you again, I just didn't think."

She fell into her father's arms as he held her tightly. The familiar safe embrace of the man who raised her was something she thought she would never have again. She knew her father loved, she knew it. And if Neal could forgive his father and she could forgive Rumple, couldn't she forgive her father, her only family left?

* * *

When she got to the town square there seemed to be another stand off, this time luckily without an audience. The buildings, streets and cars were covered with a thick layer of ice. Rumple, Regina, Emma and David were surrounding a woman in a glittery blue dress that looked like it belong in their land, not this one. Belle quietly walked around the library so she could get near Rumple without being detected.

"The witch told me it was you Rumpelstiltskin who held me prisoner in that thing!" the woman with a familiar voice called out to her husband.

"I'm sorry dearie, but I didn't know a person was the urn when I received it. All I knew was the power inside was a danger to my love ones," Rumple said in his imp voice. Belle knew her husband's visions could be cloudy and she wondered what he had saw.

"It sounds like it was all a big misunderstanding," Emma said calmly, her right hand in her jacket, holding her gun.

"He should have checked! Instead I'm in this strange land, I don't know where my family is! This is all his fault!" And as she spoke the more snow fell and ice grew by her feet. Belle was a few feet away from Rumple, hiding behind the edge of the library when she saw shards of ice shoot out of the sorceress' hands and made their way across the square, one was right in target for her husband.

"No!" Belle yelled as she pushed Rumple away. He wasn't hit, but she was, in her heart.

She fell to ground in Rumple's arms, as she had her first good look at the woman who was terrorizing the town.

"Elsa?" she called out.

"Anna?" her sister said in shocked, looking down at her hands. "I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

But before Belle could say anything else, Elsa ran away leaving a trail of ice in her path. Instead of following her, everyone ran to Belle.

"Gold, we need to get her inside. To your shop?" Emma said.

Belle felt like she had fallen into an icy lake. Her dark auburn hair was slowly turning white, her face was pale and her lips blue. Her heart ached. Rumple passed his keys to David and scooped her up and rushed her to his shop. As they walked, Belle asked for someone to call her father and tell him what happened.

Rumple laid her down on the cot in the backroom. The same one where David fell into a cursed sleep, the one where Rumple called her as he laid dying. Her husband wrapped her in blankets, while holding her close and rubbing his hands on her shoulders to warm to her up. But no matter how warm the shop or her husband was, she was still freezing from the inside out.

"Who the hell was that?" Regina asked finally speaking.

"Elsa, is Belle's sister," Rumple answered for his wife. "Belle I didn't know she was in there, I swear."

"I believe you," Belle told him through shivers. "I didn't know she could do that."

They heard the front door burst open and both Maurice and Tinkerbell entered.

"It happened again," he said gravely. "The same thing happened to her mother."

"What?" Rumple asked.

"Tink, you cured her before, you can do it again," Maurice begged the fairy.

Memories swarmed Belle's mind of Elsa being frightened of her finding out about what happened to their mother, Gaston barging in finding Belle had ran away, cold and then a green fairy sprinkling something over her.

"I can't. Last time I had pixie dust and the magic hit her head, the head is easy. The heart is not so easily changed," Tinkerbell told them sadly. "The only thing could save her is True Love."

The moment the words leave the fairy's lips, Rumple's are on hers. It was like coming home after spending the day in the snow. The warmth started in her heart and spread like wildfire. As she let go of him, resting her forehead on his, she whispered "I love you."

"I love you too, Belle," he answered, wiping the tears falling on her cheeks.

"Well that was anti-climatic," muttered Regina.

Maurice rushed to his daughter, kneeling before her, while he pressed a hand to her forehead as he did when she was child with a fever.

"You're alright?" he asked near tears.

"Yes, Papa," she said, throwing her arms around him. "But what happened with Elsa, did you know she had power?"

"Yes," he told. "As a child there would some incidents here and there, but your mother and I never thought anything of it. However, when she was twelve, her powers seemed to mature and they frightened her."

"There is a legend that your mother's family was cursed by the Dark Fairy," Tinkerbell added. "However, there had not been a sign of the curse for generations."

"Your mother blamed herself for Elsa's condition," her father continued. "She was determined to cure her. However after one disastrous attempts, Elsa's magic accidentally hit your mother and she… Elsa begged me to take her away from the castle, she was terrified she would hurt someone, especially you."

"But why not tell me?" Belle asked. She could not imagine how Elsa felt all those years, being separated from her family and friends, believing she was the cause of their mother's death.

"Elsa didn't want you to know she was responsible for your mother's death, she told me she could not stand it if you knew, so we kept it all a secret, until the day you went to see her.

"She was apparently shocked to see you and her magic accidentally hit you in the head but Tink was able to save you. We knew we had to do something soon, her powers just kept growing more powerful. Gaston found these witches who promised to take her powers away, however in doing so it killed her. At least that is what I was told by my knights."

Her father turned to Rumple who still sat next to her.

"A trio of witches, Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch, were trying to make a deal with me, and they offered this urn, they said it was full of magic. When I saw it I had a vision of it being a danger to someone I loved, at the time I thought…"

"It was Bae," she said cupping his cheek. "Well it was a danger, but you saved me."

She gave him a quick kiss and got up.

"Where are you going?" her husband asked.

"I'm going to see my sister!" Belle said, as she grabbed the red coat and scarf she left in the shop.  
"My girl what can you do?" her father pleaded.

"True love can thaw a frozen heart, right Tink?" she asked.

"Yes…" the fairy answered.

"Well, I love my sister and I'm going to tell her so."

"You can't go alone," her husband said, grabbing his own coat.

"Well you can't come with me, she is mad at you at the moment."

"I'll go with you," Emma offered.

"Emma…." David trailed off, when his daughter gave him 'the look.'

"No, it make sense. I'm the product of true love, I have some magic, maybe I could help her? Plus if I get frozen, Henry is around."

"It could work," Tink said (without too much confidence).

Rumple pulled his wife to the front of the shop away from the others.

"Belle, I don't like this, I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Well if anything happens, I just call you on your dagger and you can appear."

Her true love's head bow down and his eyes filled with guilt. She wondered, she always did, how he could be comfortable with her carrying his dagger around in her purse like it was a keychain. Ruby lost her phone every other week and Archie had a habit of leaving his wallet in the diner. And while the dagger could not compare to those mundane objects, she could lose it, it could be taken from her. And she hated herself for wondering if it was real, but now she had her answer.

"It could if this was the dagger," she said quietly.

He didn't answer. She realized since coming to Storybrooke, her husband never lied to her, but he did omit the truth. And since he wouldn't answer she knew she was right.

Before she could speak again Emma walked out and asked her if she was ready to go.

"Yes, let's go," Belle said as she handed the fake dagger to her husband and left the shop.


End file.
